1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to inflatable occupant restraints for automotive vehicles, and more particularly to such restraints deployed on the sides of the vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of inflatable occupant restraints or airbags in automotive vehicles has become common in the automotive industry. Almost all inflatable occupant restraint systems presently available are configured to respond to frontal impacts. In response to changing governmental regulations and, more importantly, in order to enhance the energy absorbing capability of their products, the automotive industry has turned its attention to developing energy absorbing restraints responsive to excessive loading laterally of vehicles.
One of the areas of the vehicle under consideration for possible use of inflatable occupant restraints is the area between the upper portion of an occupant and the vehicle side glass. Japanese patent application 3-276844 to Mazda Motor Corporation is exemplary of one approach to providing airbags in the space adjacent the upper portion of a vehicle occupant in the front seat of a vehicle. It disadvantageously uses two airbags, one carried adjacent the roof of the vehicle and one carried in the center B-pillar of the vehicle, and both positioned on the outside of the adjacent body structure under a trim cover.